Council of Europe assembly leader stripped of powers after Assad visit

Members of human rights body’s parliamentary assembly pass vote of no confidence in Spaniard Pedro Agramunt

The leader of the parliamentary assembly in Europe’s oldest human rights body has been stripped of his powers after being accused of tarnishing his office by meeting the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad.

In a move unprecedented in the 68-year history of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe (Pace), senior MPs passed a vote of no confidence in the president, Pedro Agramunt.